>> August 31, 2013

-history of marathon running in Sabah (a
state that formerly known as North Borneo, a nation that competed in 1956
Olympics): According to BIM, the first
marathon in Sabah was in 1984, called “Daily Express Sabah Marathon”, and the
next one was the 1st BIM in 2008;

-scheduled on May 4-5, however postponed
to this date due to the 13th Malaysian General Election;

-marathon stats: 353 finishers (59 females in total / 27
veterans), last placing at 7:31:35 by a male runner;

>> August 24, 2013

World Masters Games (WMG) is an international multi-sport event held every four years. The 8th edition of WMG was held in Torino Italy from 2 - 11 August 2013. Up to a total of 30 sports contested for each category (age group) starting 25y group (25-29) to 100 years. Results by Malaysian athletes as follows;

>> August 23, 2013

The heatwave conditions on the first three days were
replaced by milder temperatures on the final evening of the four day track and
field competition at the Asian Youth Games, being held in Nanjing, China, this
week. The games were open to athletes aged 15 or 16 years and the same athletes
will be age-eligible for the second IOC Youth Olympic Games to be held next
year in the same city.

Healthy crowd numbers in excess of 20,000 on most
evenings augurs well for next year’s youth Olympics. As we have come to know,
the enthusiastic Chinese crowds politely support all competitors, but can
always find an extra cheer for a host nation athlete.

Team China dominated the competition taking 19 gold,
ahead of Japan 4, Thailand 3, Korea and Chinese Taipei with two and on one
medal Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Independent Olympic Athletes.

The limelight was shared by many of the athletes who a
month earlier had competed at the IAAF world youth championships in Donetsk Ukraine,
while many athletes achieved top three world age ranging performances.

Takumu Furuya ran the second fastest time in the World (by D. Tarbotton)

Japan’s Takumu
Furuya stamped himself as one of the finest all round junior hurdlers in
the world. At the recent IAAF world youth championships, he placed an
outstanding fourth in the 400m hurdles, in an under-17 years world leading time
of 51.00 seconds. But at the Asian Youth Games, he switched his attention to
the 110m hurdles. Arriving at the meet he owned a personal best of 13.92, which
he smashed in the heat, running 13.64, before destroying this best again with
13.36 in the final - the second fastest time in the world for his age.

"From the preliminary to the final, everything was smooth, although
I got an injury some days before I came here. But finally I made it, I got the
gold medal, I am so happy," Furuya said.

Second in the hurdles was Sri Lanka’s Akila Ravisanka, a year 11 high school
student from a village outside of Columbo. Coached by Indika Jayasinghe,
Ravisanka clocked a big personal best time of 13.99.

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Nana Fujimori (JPN) lived up to
expectations coasting to the line nearly a flight ahead of her closest rival,
Vietnam’s Thi Lan Nguyen. There was
unsteadiness on the line at the first attempt to start the race, but no one was
awarded a break.

“The first false start had no effect on me,”
commented Fujimori, whose winning time of 13.69, into a slight headwind, was
faster than she recorded at the recent IAAF world youth championships, where
she progressed to the semi-finals. But the time was still outside her personal
best of 13.66 recorded in 2012. Nguyen, clocked 14.43 for the silver medal,
just ahead of Indonesia’s Ken Ayuthaya
Purnama in 14.45.

One coach and one school in China, have
produced four gold medallists at the AYG. Junwei
Yang, a coach at the Lianyungang Sports school in Lianyungang city, located
in the Jiangsu Province which is hosting the AYG, has coached athletes to four titles
in the throwing events. The performance levels from the athletes were of the highest
quality with all athletes achieving distance moving them into the world top-four
for 2013. The gold rush started on the second night with Yin Dong (CHN)winning
the girls’ shot put title with a distance of 16.84m.

"She was a little impetuous in her second put, so I told her that
she should watch her psychological attitude," said coach Yang.

“She will try her best to take part in Youth Olympic Games next year. I
hope she can be selected to the national team. She trains five times a week and
every time for 1.5 hours.”

Later that evening Yuanbo Ding (CHN)won
the boys’ hammer throw title by over 10 metres with a distance of 73.73m, the
third best throw in the world by an under-17 age athlete.

On the final evening, two of Yang’s athletes
won the discus titles.

Bronze medallists at the recent world youth
championships, Yulong Cheng (CHN)
dominated the boys’ discus from his first throw of 58.30m. His series included
two throws over 60 metres, but his best of 62.03m on the final throw, was just
short of his personal record of 62.80m, set in Donetsk, which was the world’s
leading under-17 performance this year.

"I didn't feel good about the last throw. I was a little surprised
because I didn't expect to throw that far,” he said. "I'm very excited.
It's not until today that all my toil and sweat finally paid off. I'm grateful
for the chance that allowed me to perform well here."

The fourth gold for the Yang-coached group
was nailed by girls’ discus champion, Kangping
Sun (CHN), who set a world leading performance of 49.28m in the first round
to win gold by nearly five metres.

“I'm very excited now. In the beginning of the competition, I felt very
nervous, but I got more and more relaxed. My coach told me to compete at my
normal level, take it easy and perform as usual.”

Aged just 15 years, Hussain Al Hizam is Saudi Arabia’s best ever pole vaulter, raising
the national open record on five occasions this year, taking it from 4.95m to
5.27m. This week in Nanjing, he opened his competition with 4.60m which he
cleared on his second attempt to put him in second place behind Iraq’s Muntadher Abdulwahid who had cleared on
his first attempt. At 4.70m, Abdulwahid missed his attempts, while Al Hizam
negotiated the height on his third attempt to take the title.

The boys’ javelin was a come from behind win
to Chinese Taipei’s Jenwei Tsai.
After three rounds China’s Zhuqing Su
led comfortably with his first round throw of 67.35m, ahead of Sungming Lee (TPE) on 65.90m and Ao Zhou (CHN) with 64.94m. But the
competition changed dramatically when in round five, Tsai, a student at
National Yilan Senior High School, launched the javelin out to 70.41m to take
the lead by over three metres. Su tried his best and responded with a personal
record of 67.51m on the event’s final throw, to confirm the silver medal.

"My best throw tonight was
made when I felt well and I found my confidence back,” said Tsai.

“My earlier throws were not that
good, so I adjusted mentality. I took a medal, which made me happy and
satisfied. But I won't have a party or travel in Nanjing to celebrate. I will
fly back (home) soon, because when school starts I will have many other
competitions."

Favourite for the boys’ shot, was local
athlete Jianping Han who started
slowly, eventually securing the victory with his very last throw of 18.87m.
Japan’s Yume Ando, led early with
17.36m in round three, eventually putting 18.07m in round four for his best of
the day.

"I am very excited and I had
never thought about this result. I broke my own record (18.50m) and reached a
new level - 18.87m.,” said Han.

"I am now studying at
Jiangsu 101 High School and I keep training during my study time."

Maurice Nicholas (SIN), Honorary Secretary of the Asian
Athletics Association, was full of praise for the organisers.

"Let me congratulate the organisers on a very well organised games
that is running so well. Perhaps the most beautiful thing is that everything
runs on time. I simply couldn't find any problems."

He was also pleased with the performances of the athletes.

"It's been very, very encouraging. It is wonderful to see all the
personal bests up on the scoreboard so often. This is a very good sign for the
youth of Asia, and for athletics in Asia.”

An afternoon storm in Nanjing, was a welcome relief from
the heat wave conditions the athletes endured on the first three days. The
lower temperatures were also timely with four endurance events on the program.

The outstanding success of coach Junwei Yang continued on the final
evening on the AYG with his athletes claiming the two discus titles on offer in
world leading performances.

Bronze medallists at the recent world youth
championships, Yulong Cheng (CHN)
dominated the boys’ discus from his first throw of 58.30m. His series included
two throws over 60 metres, but his best of 62.03m on the final throw, was just
short of his personal record of 62.80m, set in Donetsk, which was the world’s
leading under-17 performance this year.

"I didn't feel good about the last throw. I was a little surprised
because I didn't expect to throw that far,” he said. "I'm very excited.
It's not until today that all my toil and sweat finally paid off. I'm grateful
for the chance that allowed me to perform well here."

The fourth gold for the Yang-coached group
was nailed by girls’ discus champion, Kangping
Sun (CHN), who set a world leading performance of 49.28m in the first round
to win gold by nearly five metres.

“I'm very excited now. In the beginning of the
competition, I felt very nervous, but I got more and more relaxed. My coach
told me to compete at my normal level, take it easy and perform as usual.”

Yang and his four throwers from Lianyungang
Sports school in Jiangsu Province, depart Nanjing with four titles and a string
of outstanding performances.

Hunan sprinter Guifen Huang
(CHN), who won her speciality the 400 metres on day two, added the 200 metres
title tonight in Nanjing with a massive personal best of 23.82, her first ever
sub-24 performance.

A
semi-finalist in the 400 metres at last month’s IAAF world youth championships,
Huang hopes to continue her career on the international stage.

"I
hope to take part in some bigger international sporting events, and I plan to
take part in the YOG next year."

The athletes in the 3000 metre events led from the gun and were never
under threat as they took the titles.

Liu Hongliang (CHN), a student at Inner
Mongolia Vocational College of Physical Education in Tuquan City, led at each
kilometre, passed in very uneven splits, of 2:57, 2:42 and 2:46, hitting the
line in 8:25.86. In the girls race, Japan’s Fukiko Ando was even more dominant. She recorded kilometres splits
of 3:05, 3:09 and 3:09, stopping the clock at 9:23.50, 10 seconds outside her
personal best. Ando had run away from the field very early and after four laps
led the Korean pair, working together, by 30 metres. This was extended to 120
metres by the finish line.

Indian athlete, Anjana
Dhavalu Thamake, running for the Independent Olympic Athletes team, came
from behind to win the girls 800 metres in 2:11.47. In the boy’s 800m, Korea’s Sangmin Lee led at the bell in 56.61,
going on to win in 1:54.64.

Other winners on the final evening were:

·Chun-Han Yang (TPE) boys’ 200m 21.47

·Witthawal Thumcha (THA) boys’ 400m hurdles 52.79

·Ying Yu (CHN) girls’ 400m hurdles 63.28

·Yuji Hiramatsu (JPN) boys’ high jump 2.06m

·Yue Ma (CHN) girls’ triple jump 12.55m

Healthy crowd numbers in excess of 20,000 on most
evenings augurs well for next year’s youth Olympics. As we have come to know,
the enthusiastic Chinese crowds politely support all competitors, but can
always find an extra cheer for a host nation athlete.

Team China dominated the competition taking 19 gold,
ahead of Japan 4, Thailand 3, Korea and Chinese Taipei with two each and on one
medal Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Independent Olympic Athletes.

Maurice Nicholas (SIN), Honorary Secretary of the Asian
Athletics Association, was full of praise for the organisers.

"Let me congratulate the organisers on a very well organised games
that is running so well. Perhaps the most beautiful thing is that everything
runs on time. I simply couldn't find any problems."

However Mr Nicholas has been
concerned with the lack of athletes converting this junior success into senior
ranks.

"Perhaps the biggest
(challenge) is the attrition. The youth are doing very well at the moment and
this is good for (next year's Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing) but due to studies
and other things, the number of Asian athletes in the (older groups) dwindles.
We hope this will change with these great results (in Nanjing).

“This is the first step, the
youth, next we have the juniors and then the seniors. It is a very good sign to
see these youth doing so well in Nanjing. It's been very, very encouraging. It
is wonderful to see all the personal bests up on the scoreboard so often. This
is a very good sign for the youth of Asia, and for athletics in Asia.”

>> August 22, 2013

Asian Youth Games – day three review

After
China’s dominance on day two, it was Japan’s turn, courtesy of two fine sprint
hurdlers, to steel the limelight on day three of the Asian Youth Games,
currently being held in Nanjing. Along with Japan, five other countries, China,
Syria, Korea, Vietnam and Thailand shared the gold medals.

Takumu Furuya (Asian AA)

Tonight,
Japan’s Takumu Furuya stamped
himself as one of the finest all round junior hurdlers in the world. At the
recent IAAF world youth championships, he placed an outstanding fourth in the
400m hurdles, in a 16-years world leading time of 51.00 seconds. But at the
Asian Youth championships, he switched his attention to the 110m hurdles.
Arriving at the meet he owned a personal best of 13.92, which he smashed in the
heat, running 13.64, before destroying his best again with 13.36 in the final -
the second fastest time in the world for his age.

"From the preliminary to the final, everything
was smooth, although I got an injury some days before I came here. But finally
I made it, I got the gold medal, I am so happy," he said.

Second in
the hurdles was Sri Lanka’s Akila
Ravisanka, a year 11 high school student from a village outside of Columbo.
Coached by Indika Jayasinghe, Ravisanka clocked a big personal best time of
13.99.

In the
women’s 100m hurdles, Nana Fujimori
(JPN) lived up to expectations coasting to the line nearly a flight ahead of
her closest rival, Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Lan. There was unsteadiness at on the line at the first attempt to start
the race, but no one awarded a break.

“The first
false start had no effect on me,” commented Fujimori, whose winning time of
13.69, into a slight headwind, was faster than she recorded at the recent IAAF
world youth championships, where she progressed to the semi-finals. But the
time was still outside her personal best of 13.66 recorded in 2012. Nguyen,
clocked 14.43 for the silver medal, just ahead of Indonesia’s Ken Ayuthaya Purnama in 14.45.

After three
rounds the girls javelin was a fairly close battle between Korea’s Youngin Kang and Wan-Chi Chang of Chinese Taipei, with both throwing in the 45 to 47
metre range. But the competition was ripped apart in round four when Kang,
added four metres to her personal best with an enormous throw of 54.31m. The
distance also moved Kang from outside the world top 12 rankings to number three
under-17 javelin thrower this year. After temporarily losing second position,
Chang closed out the competition herself with a personal best of 47.75m and the
silver medal.

Local
athlete, Yin Dong from Lianyungang
city in Jiangsu Province, dominated the girls’ shot put. Her winning put of
15.58m eventually would have been sufficient to win, but she extended this
twice, with marks of 16.69m and 16.84m to claim the gold by 1.58 metres from
Korea’s Yusun Jeong who put 15.26 on
her fifth attempt. Dong’s distance also moved her to number four in the world.

"Firstly, I'd
like to appreciate government officials for their help and support. Then, I
want to celebrate and share my joy with my coach,” said Dong, referring to one
of the meet’s most successful coaches, Junwei Yang who also coaches last evening boys’ hammer throwing
champion Yuanbo Ding. Dong and Ding
attend the Lianyungang Sports School.

"She was a little impetuous in her second put,
so I told her that she should watch her psychological attitude," said
coach Yang.

“She will try her best to take part in Youth Olympic
Games next year. I hope she can be selected to the national team. She trains
five times a week and every time for 1.5 hours.”

Syria’s Raya Fatima had little trouble
accounting for the girls’ 2000 metres steeplechase field. After running the
initial lap with the pack, Fatima moved away from the field, and was particularly
strong over the last lap to cross the line in 7:07.82, over 20 seconds ahead of
silver medallist Vietnam’s Tran Thi Mai.

Nguyen Thi Truc (VIE) claimed the toughest leg of a potential horizontal
jumps double, when she took gold in the girls’ long jump. Nguyen, leapt a best
of 5.90m on her third attempt, just short of her national junior championships
winning distance of 5.97m. One of the finest triple jumpers in the world for
her age, Nguyen starts favourite tomorrow night in her speciality.

Thailand’s Khathawut Meanim, bounded into the
world’s top-10 boys’ triple jumpers with a first round personal best of 15.11m,
a distance which would hold up for gold.

There was a
close battle in the boys’ 2000m steeplechase until the bell, when Hu Ma sprinted away from his teammate Aihemaiti Ainikeerjiang. Ma, who
clocked 5:53.16 was so excited he sprinted a victory.

“I didn’t expect that I would get such a
great result before the race,” said Ma, an inexperienced steeplechaser. “It
hasn’t been long since I practiced steeplechase running, I feared that I won’t
get past those barriers.”

The Chinese teammates had run side by side
until the bell.

“He (the silver) and I are teammates. We
cooperated with each other during the race. I followed him rather than run
ahead.”

"I didn't feel very good today, but it was passable,
because my goal is 5:50 minutes. My teammate (Ma) and I had a strategy today
because my usual performance is better than his, so I led. On the last lap, me
and him, sprinted for the gold, but I was worn out, so I only get the silver
medal."

It has taken time for Ainikeerjiang to
convince family and friends to support him in his running.

"I started practicing athletics when I was 12,
and at first my mom didn't allow me to practice athletics because she thought
it was too hard for me, but I didn't think so and have stuck to it. There were
people who doubted my ability, but I wasn't affected by what others said, and I
tried my best and ranked second place when they selected athletes to
participate in the AYG, and I made it and proved myself now."